Hereditary diseases are those that run in the family, and parents pass them onto their children. A genetic disorder is different from a hereditary one as genetic issues may not be a hereditary disease because it happens only due to genes’ mutation. In this article, we bring you five inherited diseases.
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Sickle Cell Disease
When two genes mutate, and one of them has hemoglobin protein encoded in it, it’s referred to as sickle cell disease. This disease leads to damage to our human body’s organs like lungs, heart, and kidney. This inherited disease is one of the most common health problems in the US.
If both the parents have a defective gene, there is a twenty-five percent chance that their child will be affected by a sickle cell. If your child is getting a copy of only mother or father, he/she will not get this inherited disease. The chances of carrying the sickle trait, in this case, would be around 50 percent.
Cystic Fibrosis
It is a disease inherited by children from their parents that is common in the United States. A gene mutation affecting the cells that produce mucus, digestive juices, and sweat causes this. The mucus in such a child becomes sticky and thick, severely damaging the reproductive, digestive, and respiratory systems.
If a child inherits only a single copy of this defective gene from one of the parents, he/she can pass it on to their kids. However, children who inherit this cell from each parent and have two inherited copies develop cystic fibrosis. It is an uncommon disease in people who have ancestors from Northern Europe.
Tay-Sachs Disease (TSD)
It is a fatal disorder of genes that destroys the nervous system of an individual. Tay-Sachs disease is caused by certain defects in the genes of parents. These defects lead to the lack of a crucial enzyme in the body. The enzyme that is disturbed by this kind of gene mutation is called Hexosaminidase-A (Hex-A).
Those who carry this defective gene have a nearly fifty percent chance of passing this imperfect gene to their offsprings. Children who inherit one defective gene are known as Tay-Sachs carriers. If a child is getting a defective gene from mother and father both, he/she will have this inherited disease. It is a common and significantly higher disease among Jewish descent or Eastern European.
Hemophilia
It is an inherited disorder most common in males by excessive and abnormal bleeding because of the lack of the body’s ability to create a clot. The gene of hemophilia is on the X chromosome and is responsible for encoding gender. Since males have a Y and an X chromosome, they will be inheriting a single copy from their mother of the X chromosome.
In this case, if the mother has a mutated gene, the male children have a higher chance of getting hemophilia. Females always take two X chromosomes (one comes from their father, and the other comes from their mother). This copy of genes is generally usual. It suggests that most women who have this mutated gene carry the disease but do not have it.
Huntington’s Disease
Huntington’s Disease develops in the mid-life of an individual. Progressive breakdown of the nerve cells present in the brain is caused by this disease, which eventually leads to loss of muscle and brain function.
Huntington’s disease is due to an inherited defect in one gene. It is an autosomal dominant disorder suggesting that a person requires a single copy of the defective gene to develop this condition. A child needs only a single copy of the defective gene to get the disorder. Each parent who carries this defective gene could pass to their offspring a healthy or defective copy. There is a 50 percent chance of the child getting this disease.
Conclusion
In this article, you read about inherited diseases. Since they are by-birth issues, one cannot do anything much about them. But, regular exercise, meditation, yoga, and creating a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet can improve the body’s functioning and help an individual lead a normal life.
